


The Freaks You Were Warned Of

by KidOmegaWasRight



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-26 01:42:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15653187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KidOmegaWasRight/pseuds/KidOmegaWasRight
Summary: Run away and join the circus. It's any kid's dream! But when Scott Summers follows a girl he just met, he finds there's deeper secrets than he imagined. And who is the shadowy man who keeps following them? And what does he want?





	1. An Angel's wings/ Running away

Feathers fly through the air onto the ground. Some might make a connection to Icarus or a fallen saint, but he would not. Feathers were meant to fall. If they do not fall, how can one tell if the bird is alive? Living things molt, living things grow, and eventually, they all die. But today was not one to think of death, but of life. Of forgiveness and new beginnings. Wheels creek along the boards of wood, and crowds move as he approaches. As soon as he passes, they wake up, shake their heads, and leave.  
“How did we get here?” They say. Soon, it is just the man and the ticket salesman. The men make eye contact, one trembling, the other as calm as can be. He moves his arms slowly to his pocket, and pulls out a singular gold coin.  
“One ticket,” the man says, “To see the incredible Angel!”

Scott Summers ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but, considering his chest binder and his asthma, that was not very far. The first rock hit the back of his head, and his vision blacked out, then he saw red, growing hotter. He covered his eyes with his hands, and pulled up his glasses, hopping they only slipped a little. Lucky, he was correct, and there was not a giant hole in the boardwalk. There was, however, blood seeping slowly from his head to his neck. He placed a hand back there and felt its sticky texture.  
Huh. He thought, That’s not good.  
A hand grabbed Scott’s shoulder, and as he was turned around, he was convinced that this was to be the end of him. Instead of doom though, he saw the face of the most gorgeous woman. Scott wouldn’t know it, but this woman had the greenest eyes he could have ever seen. Instead, in his red haze, Scott noticed the gaze they met, as the woman seemed composed in a deep thought. He couldn’t help but feel that his thoughts were much shallower than hers could ever be. She smiled and raised her eyebrows in a skeptical manor. Scott could feel her presence almost responding to his thoughts.  
That’s not true, it said, and it felt so real that Scott almost responded to it. But he knew better than to.  
“Uh, thank you,” Scott all but stuttered out. He couldn’t help but trip over his words, and it wasn’t just because of the beauty of this woman before him. There was more to her than looks. She was real, and Scott could feel a sort of fire inside her, or perhaps, where fire could be.  
“No problem,” she replied. She smiled a lot. Scott liked that.  
“I’m Jean,” she said.  
“Scott! Summers, Scott Summers. But we weren’t exchanging last names were we? Sorry. What’s next my social security number?” He chuckled, but he knew it just felt awkward. Surprisingly, Jean laughed back, but her laugh wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t fake or forced. She generally thought that he was funny, or cute, or something. Scott was smitten by her, and he barely knew her. He knew nothing but her name, but had she asked for his soul, he’d have given it, gladly.  
“Why were they attacking you?” Jean asked.  
Scott felt his throat begin to close. What was he supposed to say, that he was a freak? That the sunglasses he wore were not for his eyes protection, but for the protection of all around? That he could kill her if he were to really look at her?  
Not me.  
Scott heard a voice in the back of his head. It was different than hearing things like one normally does. Instead of entering at either ears, the sound manifested from the middle of his head.  
I’ve lost it, Scott thought.  
No, you haven’t, the voice responded.  
Scott looked up and saw Jean staring at him. He could read her again. Her face was soft, her eyebrows raised slightly, giving her face a full and open appearance. It seemed to say, you are not alone. A smile slowly crept onto Jean’s face.  
It’s her, Scott thought. Hello, Jean.  
It’s me, the voice responded. Hi, Scott.  
Scott smiled at her, and Jean smiled back. They basked in it, the feeling of not being alone. Not many people had powers like them. They were mutants, ‘muties’, or freaks. They were different. But now, Scott felt like he could not be alone. Then it dawned on him to check the time.  
“Don’t go back,” Jean said, reading his thoughts.  
“If I don’t go back, I won’t get to leave the house again.”  
“Humans aren’t meant to be caged, Scott”, she told him.  
“But we’re not humans, are we, Jean?”, he responded. He started to move again, and she let go, and that hurt far more than any other thing she could have done.  
“You don’t have to be alone, Scott. Run away with me. There’s a group of us. The Professor's a nice man. You don’t have to be locked up and beaten every time you mess up, Scott. That’s not right! Run away!”  
He really wanted to. So he did. 

Feathers fly to the ground, yes, but didn’t your mother ever tell you that a loose feather often meant a sick bird? Let the matters of Icarus go by, but a yellow haired, bright eyed soul will fly as close to the sun as he can. And the closest one has ever gotten is the outer shell. But reach her center, and you will find a fire that could not quench any thirst. A fire that could turn any gas to nothing, and soup to gas, and metal to soup. The wood shakes, or perhaps it is the nails. Crowds move as he nears.  
“Is that…” they whisper, “No it can’t be.”  
A coin shoots from his pocket as if it has a life of its own, and lands at the feet of the ticket salesperson.  
“One ticket,” the man says, “To see the incredible Angel!”


	2. The Twins/Meeting the Gang

The crowd boos and hisses. They shout slurs and curses at the young boy and girl. He has his arm sharply around her, as if to protect her, but it is her who has the power. As her eyes turn red the crowd is thrown backwards. He looks at her, and she is surprised by her own power.  
"I didn't mean to," she whispers in a language only they know.  
"I know," he reassures her, "You're safe."  
But they aren't, not really. The crowd begins to creep up on them, and she begins to pray, whispering prayers that their mother taught them. She wraps her hand into her brother's and he closes his eyes and awaits their death.

Scott's stomach felt like it was going to empty itself right then and there from excitement, as he and Jean ran away from the boardwalk and into the grass.  
"This is where the carnies live," Scott said and then repeated when Jean asked him to.  
"We prefer the term, entertainers, or even circus folk, if you will," a voice clarified from behind.  
Scott spun around to see a rather big man with muscular arms and huge thighs (why was he thinking about another man's thighs?) behind him.  
"Uh, sorry," Scott stuttered out.  
Jean approached the man and put her arm around him, and his face softened by her touch.  
"Hank," Jean said, "This is Scott. Scott, meet Hank. Hank, Scott's here to join us."  
Hank tried to remain stoic, but it was obvious that the thought of another person around excited him, as shown by the smile that slowly crept its way onto his face. Eventually the smile turned to a grin, and Hank quickly walked over to Scott, and gave him the most enthusiastic handshake Scott had ever had.  
"Welcome to the circus, Scott," Hank said, "Let me show you around!"  
Hank gripped Scott's shoulder and ushered him inside their tent. Scott looked back at Jean, who laughed. He raised his eyebrows and thought, Help. Her laugh turned to a cackle as she smiled and sent him a thought back.  
Good luck, she told him. 

She hears it first, the familiar click of a gun. It's so much louder though, and it sounds right near her ear. So she opens her eyes and turns her head, and there is a gun there, only it floats, like it has a mind of its own. She reaches out to touch it when she hears a voice behind her speak in a language she thought was sacred and broken. She thought it only belonged to her and her brother.  
"Don't." The voice says. "Let me handle this, children."  
She turns and sees what looks like a man, but who has the energy of a much older, more chaotic being. He is dressed in all black, except for a purple scarf, and a purple and red helmet. They lock eyes and he is startled. The gun beside her shakes. He takes a deep breath and regains himself. He smiles.  
"You are saved, young ones."  
The gunshot doesn't even make her flinch. 

Scott was surprised by how big the tent was.  
"This is impressive," he said.  
"Thank you," a voice responded. Scott turned to see a man with the shiniest bald head. The man laughed and Scott knew immediately that the man could read minds. Scott felt his face turn as red as his glasses.  
Don't be embarrassed, Scott, said the man's voice in Scott's mind, Plenty of people have thought stranger things than how shiny my head is.  
Scott couldn't help but laugh, and Hank smiled.  
"Professor, I've seen you met Scott. He wants-"  
"To join us. Yes, I know. Hank, why don't you get the others, and we can officially welcome Scott. "  
Hank nodded and began to leave. Scott felt nervous being around the Professor. Scott trusted quickly (he already trusted Jean and Hank), but felt uncomfortable around adults and authority figures. Scott looked up at the Professor's face deep in thought, and remembered he was in the presence of a mind reader. Scott wanted to take back all the things he had thought, but by the Professor's laugh, he guessed the man wasn't offended.  
"You're wise, Scott," the Professor said out loud, "Not every adult can be trusted, but you'll find that I can be."

She only leaves the embrace of his eye contact when she is sure she is not bleeding, and has not been shot at all. She turns to her brother, and holds him, and he holds her, both checking each other and cleaning the dirt off of their shoulders like feral cats. She then turns her attention to the crowd. Their bodies lay on the ground, twitching as the life drains from them.  
"There was only one gunshot," she mutters, and before she can wonder more, one bullet flies past her to their savior.  
"I only need one," he replies.

"Scott," the Professor says, "You've been through a lot, I know. I'm offering you an escape from that, a chance to learn how to use your powers. I'm offering you a home. I only need one question answered: are you in?"  
Scott felt a smile forming on his face as he answered:  
"I'm in."  
"Great," the Professor smiled, "Then let's begin."

"Children," the savior said, "You've been through a lot, I know. I'm offering you an escape from that. A chance to learn how and why to use your powers. I'm offering you protection. I only need one thing from you, a simple answer: are you in?"  
Wanda Maximoff looked at her brother Pietro. He was grinning ear to ear, and she couldn't help but do the same.  
"We're in", she answered.  
"Great," Magneto said, "Then let us begin."


End file.
